Disk drives typically use heads residing on sliders to read from and write to the magnetic media. A head typically includes a read transducer and a write, or recording transducer. FIGS. 1-3 depict various conventional magnetic recording transducers 10, 10′, and 10″, respectively. The magnetic recording transducers 10, 10′, and 10′ include coils 12, 12′, and 12″, main poles 14, 14′, and 14″, insulators 16, 16′, and 16″, and shield 18, 18′, 18″. The conventional write transducer 10 typically utilizes photoresist as the insulator 16. In addition, the return shield 18 is typically formed of two separate pieces-18A and 18B. The conventional write transducer 10′ uses a single piece, dome-shaped shield 18′. Photoresist is still used as the insulator 16′. The write transducer 10″ has an insulator such as alumina conformally deposited around the turns of the coins 12″. A single piece shield 18″ may also be used. Further, the coils 12, 12′, and 12″ each have three turns. Typically, three turns are required to obtain a sufficient field in the yoke of the pole 14.
The trend in magnetic recording is to higher densities and higher data rates. For higher data rates, additional requirements may be placed on the conventional write transducer 10, 10′, and 10″. For example, a shorter yoke length is generally desired. A shorter yoke length allows for faster reversals in the magnetic flux generated by the pole 14. A shorter yoke length also corresponds to a smaller distance available for the coils 12, 12′, and 12″. However, the conventional transducers 10, 10′, and 10″ can only be shrunk to a limited extent because of the coil cross-section required to support the desired current and insulation between the turns. For example, the length of the yoke for the transducers 10, 10′, and 10″ is typically 5 μm or longer. In addition to a shorter yoke length, reduced pole tip protrusions are also desired. Pole tip protrusion occurs when a portion of the transducer projects outward from the ABS. For the conventional write transducer 10, a permanent pole tip protrusion generally exists due to the two piece shield. For the transducers 10 and 10′, thermal protrusion may occur due to the large coefficient of thermal expansion of the photoresist used for the insulators 16 and 16′. Although the pole 10″ does not use photoresist and may use a single piece shield, the insulator 16″ is not smooth above the turns of the upper coil 12″. The shield 18″ is conformal with the insulator 16″ and thus also exhibits the wiggles sown in FIG. 3. These nonuniformities adversely affect the conduction of flux by the shield 18″ at high data rates. This is also undesirable. Thus, the write transducers 10, 10′, and 10″ may be unsuitable for use at higher data rates.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for providing improved write transducers that may be used at higher data rates.